(DDM) – The Niger Delta Ethnic Nationalities Youth Leaders Council has distanced itself from a protest staged in Abuja against the Group Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, Bashir Ojulari.
Diaspora Digital Media (DDM) gathered that the council described the demonstration as unrepresentative of the region’s youths and stakeholders in the oil and gas industry.
At a press briefing, the council’s president, Terry Obieh, insisted that those behind the Abuja protest acted without the backing of Niger Delta youth leaders.
He urged the public to disregard attempts to undermine Ojulari, describing the NNPC boss as a reform-driven technocrat who enjoys grassroots support.
Obieh praised President Bola Tinubu for entrusting Ojulari with the responsibility of leading the nation’s most strategic corporation.
He emphasised that the council and its affiliates remain committed to supporting the administration’s energy reforms.
Appointed in April, Ojulari has introduced sweeping changes in NNPC’s operations within a short period.
He successfully increased Nigeria’s crude oil production from 1.2 million barrels per day to 1.8 million barrels within four months.
This achievement, observers say, is significant for a country grappling with declining output and revenue shortfalls.
Ojulari also restored NNPC’s suspended monthly financial and operational reports, which had been withheld for years, enhancing transparency in the corporation.
In addition, he kick-started refinery rehabilitation efforts, which had long been stalled by entrenched interests resistant to change.
Obieh explained that these reforms reflect a renewed commitment to accountability and operational efficiency in Nigeria’s oil sector.
He called on Niger Delta youths to align with the federal government’s agenda, stressing that undermining Ojulari would hurt regional and national interests.
The council further urged stakeholders to resist being used by political or business actors opposed to reform.
Community leaders from the Niger Delta have also echoed the council’s position, describing Ojulari’s reforms as long overdue.
They noted that sustained improvements in production and transparency could translate into better revenues for development projects in oil-producing states.
Analysts argue that the rejection of the anti-Ojulari protest signals a wider recognition of the need for continuity in reforms.
They believe that consistent leadership in the oil sector is crucial to stabilising Nigeria’s fragile economy.
For Obieh and the Niger Delta youth leaders, backing Ojulari is not only about loyalty but also about securing the region’s future in the national energy landscape.
The statement ends a week of speculation about regional youth support for the embattled NNPC leadership.